The Wisdom of Sleeping On Financial Decisions

Transcription

1 UMD Personal Finance Seminar for Professionals May 15, 2014 The Wisdom of Sleeping On Financial Decisions Lois A. Vitt, Ph.D. Founding Director Institute for Socio-Financial Studies

2 What We Do For 23 years, ISFS research has had a farreaching impact. Our multi-disciplinary approach has informed financial education and program evaluation worldwide. (See ISFS applies behavioral and societal research concepts to actual (not only ideal) financial life circumstances: such as financial mistakes.

3 Today s Seminar Will focus on: 1. Why we are all Ferry Boat Captains. 2. What we prioritize in our lives and why. 3. Some surprising realities about everyday financial decision-making! 4. Strategies to help clients/students navigate difficult challenges (loss mitigation) and marketplaces (advertorials) more successfully.

4 Financial Professionals must ü Create financial value for stakeholders, a particular community, and even society as a whole. ü Implement content in a practical manner. ü Be personally interesting and relevant; a program must be important, scalable and sustainable. ü Deliver better financial results over time.

5 Ferry Boat Captains must ü Steer through competing social norms and human values. ü Carry clients and students from one life shore to another sometimes through bad weather. ü Understand personal and social behaviors not just financial facts. ü Recognize that financial management is complicated, emotion-laden, we all make mistakes, and that we create our socio-financial reality.

6 Tools Needed 1. Understand LifeValues Principles. 2. Know what clients/students value and why. 3. Develop an awareness of societal trends and behavioral biases. 4. Have a plan for meeting client/student needs where they are and want to be.

7 Biases, fallacies, and Errors Ø Status Quo Ø Confirmatory Ø Risk Aversion Ø Conformity Ø Over Confidence Ø Anchoring Ø Etc., Etc., Etc.

8 Human Faces Behind the Errors Ø Fears and discomforts Ø Other emotions Ø Off-days Ø Life transitions Ø Impaired cognition Ø Mental and physical health Ø Distractedness

9 Life Priorities and Financial Decisions Our psychological, social, and cultural environments influence everyone s financial behaviors and decisions. Recognize your own LifeValues, how you developed them and why. What are your vulnerabilities? Then learn how you can use Behavioral (and Social Influences) Strategies to improve your financial decision-making and help clients and/or students do the same.

10 Research Behind LifeValues Tools 1. The decision making sciences. 2. The psychology of Values: Personal, Social, Physical, and Financial. 3. Well-being, preference and choice, satisfaction and happiness. 4. Behavioral economics and behavioral finance: biases and errors. 5. Marketing and advertising: how cultural environments influence all human behaviors.

11 Principle No. 1 Ø Financial decision-making is about all of one s life.

12 Principle No. 2 Ø One s societal and family history influences every financial decision today.

13 Flows of Social Influence on Financial Behaviors Culture Subcultures Social Status Organizations Reference Groups Family Media Individuals Values Needs Wants Shoulds Financial Behaviors Source: LVitt 2008, 2013 based on Olson

14 Decision Dynamics Model Values I value emotions Wants I want SELF I decide Shoulds I should Source: Schweig- Vitt2006, cognitions Needs I need

15 Financial Decision Dynamics Model Social Influences Values I value emotions Social Influences Wants I want SELF I decide Shoulds I should Source: ISFS, Vitt 2007, 2009, 2013 Social Influences cognitions Needs I need Social Influences

16 Principle No. 3 Ø One s LifeValues drives all of their important decisions, consciously or unconsciously.

17 Principle No. 4 Ø One can consciously use their LifeValue system to make better choices and decisions.

18 Principle No. 5 Ø One s LifeValues system is life long.

19 Break What are Values?

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21 Terminology Beliefs, attitudes, and values are terms often used interchangeably In the previous slide: The value is Liberty The belief is in a Nation/System where individuals are free to pursue happiness, religious life, etc. Patrick Henry s attitude might be I hate tyrants

22 Your LifeValues System All LifeValues are Subjective and consist of what we think and feel about these dimensions of our lives. Inner/Personal Physical/Material Relationships/Societal Financial/Economic

23 LifeValues Model* Personal Values Discomfort Social Values Physical Values Comfort Financial Values *Source: Lois A. Vitt.

24 Personal Values Psychological Safety and Security Autonomy and Control Identity and Social Identity Spiritual

25 Physical Values 1. Internal Senses Health 2. External Material Environmental

26 Social Values Family and Friends Communities of Interest Co-workers and Customers Peer Groups, Neighbors Associations, Organizations State, Nation

27 Financial-Economic Values Sufficiency Sustainability Appropriateness

28 LifeValues Decision Making* Personal Values Discomfort Social Values Physical Values Comfort Financial Values *Source: Lois A. Vitt.

29 Points to Ponder Ø You cannot negotiate away your unique values. You must accommodate them. Ø You cannot negotiate away another person s values either. Think about how they were formed and instead try to put yourself in their place. Ø You must find a decision solution that accommodates your values as well as those of a partner, family member, co-worker, client. Ø Too difficult? Stay tuned by downloading

30 Overcoming Biased Decisions Ø Widen your thinking-decision horizon. Ø Find and try out contrary positions. Ø Understand your own emotions and cognitions. Ø Maintain realistic confidence levels. Ø Sleep on every important decision and also those with possible important consequences.

31 Resources at Exercise 1. Publications: Values-Centered Financial Education: Understanding Cultural Influences on Learners' Financial Behaviors 2. On the ISFS Home Page Click on Resources/LifeValues-Quiz.aspx LifeValues Quiz & Other Exercises

32 THANK YOU Lois A. Vitt, Ph. D.